Let me start this post by saying that this project is for DIY brides with a lot of time to go before their wedding, like 9+ months. Succulents grow really slowly, so propagating them takes time.
That being said, growing your own succulents for your wedding is fun & easy! There are tons of ideas out there for incorporating mini succulent plants into your big day (place settings, centerpieces, bouquets, etc.) Personally, I’ll be using my little succulents as favors.
Succulents are so sweet, but the cost of buying one for every guest really adds up. The lowest price I could find online was $150 for 100 tiny plants (Amazon). Don’t get me wrong, $1.50 per plant is a great price but if you have the time, why not DIY and save money? Plus, gardening is good for your soul and watching your little baby succulents grow up is good for your pride. 😉
I’m only about 2 months into my succulent-growing journey and I’ve essentially turned 9 adult plants into 25 babies.
I started out by purchasing about $15 worth of plants from the garden center of my local home improvement store. I also spent another $15 on soil, perlite, gravel, and pots.
Succulents can be propagated from leaves gently removed from a healthy plant. For a detailed account of leaf removal for propagation, this wikiHow article is a great reference. Of note- the technique I used for propagating my succulents was very similar to the one outlined in that article with the exception of 3 key things:
1) Using root hormone- I didn’t use root hormone and came across a lot of sources that agreed it is unnecessary.
2) Misting your calloused leaves daily- this one might depend on your climate, but in the humid Southeast U.S., I found that misting the plants just leads to rot. I actually don’t water my babies at all until the original leaf withers away- the parent leaf provides enough water for the growing plant until it establishes strong roots of it’s own.
3) Watering transplanted succulents overhead- once again, this just causes rot; I use a little squeeze bottle (unused from an old tie-dye kit) to water just the soil of my plants, making sure not to get the leaves wet.
Here’s a photo of a removed leaf that has formed a callous:
And here are two leaves that just started putting out roots: 
These pictures were taken while transplanting this leaf to it’s own little pot. As you can see, it’s developed quite a root system and some baby leaves. (I am in LOVE with these little glazed pots I got on Amazon, so adorable!) Inside the pots, I use a 1:1:1 mixture of Miracle Grow succulent potting mix, perlite, and gravel (the kind you put in the bottom of a fish tank). After re-planting the succulent, I carefully place a single layer of the gravel on top as well to discourage pests (like gnats, who like to lay eggs in the soil) and for aesthetics.
I keep my succulents indoors and built a hanging window shelf (possible tutorial coming soon) to hold them all:
This photo demonstrates about 1 month’s progress. As I said, succulents grow slowly (especially in the winter). 
I’m going to keep propagating these bad boys in preparation for my wedding day, which is still about 10 months out. I can’t wait to update this post afterwards with pictures of them being used as favors!
Have you tried growing succulents? Leave your thoughts below.
Thanks!
KC
Crafting with KC 